Rhomboids/Upper Back
Master Series: Bent Over Rows with Smith Rack
Step by step How to do Bent over Rows with Smith Rack. When done correctly, this is a great exercise to strengthen your upper back, improve posture, to have no back fat.
Target your upper back and minimize the flabby area around your upper back/bra strap area. Improve your posture by strengthening your rhomboids. This exercise is great to challenge your upper back/rhomboids since you can utilize a lot of weight. You can work a large range of motion as you reach forward and stretch and pull your elbows past your body.
Step by Step How to do Bent Over Rows with Smith Rack
- Set the bar to the lowest position
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart
- Line up the balls of your feet under the bar
- Stick chest out and sit/hinge your hips back
- Set upper body around 45 degree angle
- Grab the bar with your palms facing forward
- Pull elbows up and past the level of your body
- Relax your biceps and focus on using your upper back, specifically the rhomboids
- Pinch shoulder blades together
- Lower the bar and allow the arms to stretch forward over two-three seconds and repeat without pause
Safety Tip
It’s important to note that while bent-over rows are an important exercise to provide muscle balance and provide posture benefits, it’s crucial to perform the exercise with the correct form to avoid potential injury. Poor form, such as rounding the lower back excessively or using too much weight, can lead to strain or injury.
Benefits of Bent Over Rows
Bent-over rows are a compound strength training exercise that primarily target the muscles of the upper back, including the latissimus dorsi (lats), rhomboids, and trapezius muscles. While bent-over rows primarily focus on building strength and muscle in the upper back and can contribute to overall posture benefits in several ways:
Improved Upper Back Strength and Reduce Forward Posture: Many people have a tendency to develop rounded or forward shoulder posture, often as a result of spending extended periods sitting at a desk or using electronic devices. Bent-over rows can help counteract this by strengthening the muscles that pull the shoulder blades back and down, promoting a more open and natural shoulder position.
Increased Spinal Erector Strength: To perform bent-over rows correctly, you need to maintain a neutral spine position, engaging the muscles of the lower back, known as the spinal erectors. Strengthening these muscles can contribute to better overall posture by supporting the natural curvature of the spine.
Improved Core Stability: Bent-over rows engage the core muscles to stabilize the spine during the exercise. A strong core can help maintain proper posture and reduce the risk of developing a rounded or hunched back.
Enhanced Postural Awareness: Performing bent-over rows with proper form requires a degree of postural awareness. Over time, this increased awareness can translate into better posture not only during exercise but also in everyday activities.
Bent Over Rows are a good exercise to add to your routine. We spend lots of time doing things with our shoulders flexed forward such as computer work and time on our phones not to mention, building our pecs and chest muscles. These things are not bad but it is important to build your back muscles as well for good muscle balance and posture.
